Bottle or jar capping machine.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906 J. F. NISSLY. R JAR GAPPING MACHINE. APPLIQATIONFILED DEC. 20, 1904.

BOTTLE O 5 SHEETS-811E314.

1 Human PATBNTED DEC. 11, 1906.

J. F. NISSLY.

I BOTTLE OR JA R' GAPPING'MAGHINB.

APPLIGAT-ION TILED D110. 20. 1904.

JOHN F. NISSLY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE on JAR CAPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed December 20, 1904. Serial No, 237,677. 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. N1ssLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle or Jar Capping Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. v

v The object of my invention is to provide a machine for the purposeofrapidly and certainly placing caps or similar closures in the tops ofbottles or jars, it being particularly designed for putting in placethin disks, such as are commonly used for closing milk-bottles afterthey have been filled.

The machine is constructed to cap a. umber of bottles at one operationand to fit the disks or caps perfectly into the necks of the bottles, aswill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made apart hereof andon which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1is a front elevation, the parts being in position for capping justbefore the beginning of the capping operation. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation on the handle side with some of the parts at-the bottom brokenaway to show details. Fig. 2 is a detail of the guide-pieces. Fig. 3 isa top plan view with some of the parts at one side removed to showdetails. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the lower cross-plate, showingcap-feeding slideplates and tube attachments. Fig. 5 is a longitudinalvertical section in detail on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, showing especiallyvarious stages of operation of feedin and forcing in the caps. Fig. 6 isadetai of bracket and journal devices and of the strike orbearing-faces. Fig. 7 is a. detail of the cap-feeding slideguides withthe parts slightly separated. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are details of thecenterin devices. 7

' The machine comprises, essentially, a supoperating-shaft bearing thedevices for reciprocating a pair of frames. within the support and toand from the milk-jars. These reciprocating frames carry twosubstantially parallel and opposite cross-plates. Extending betweenthese two cross-plates and passing through the top oneare a series ofdisk or cap holdin tubes. To the upper cross-plate are 4 secure a seriesof spring-wound cap-forcing plungers, while to the lower plate aresecured a series of centering devices which take over the tops of themilk-jars.

Between the cap-holding tubes and plungers and the centering devices isaperforated cap-feeding slide which is reciprocated later ally by thesame movement which reciprocates the frames and their connected partsvertically. The purpose of these features is to permit the caps to dropfrom their tubes into the perforations of the cap-feeding slide, tobring the centerin devices over the mouths of the milkjars so t at theremay be formed an accurate channel for the passage of the caps or disksinto the mouths of the bottles,

to laterally reciprocate the cap-feeding slide so as to bring t terindevices and the mouths of the bottles, and t en to verticallyreciprocate the plungers after the centering devices are rested pon thetops of the milkbottles, to force the caps through the passage formed bythe telescoped centerin devices into the mouths of the ars, and, fina1y, return the parts to the retracted position. ,1

There are various details of mechanism which provide for adjustabilityof the various parts and for accurate operation. It will be observedthat by one movement of a hand-lever I gently center the feeding-channelover the bottles, reciprocate the capfeedin slide, and bring down thelungers to force the caps into the tops of the gottles, and

that my mechanism is adapted'to be readily and easily operated with anysize of jars, and that the machine is, in effect, an automaticbottle-capping device.

The supporting-frame comprises, as herein illustrated, two side bars 15,connected at the top by a bar 16. A similar connection may be formed atthe bo'ttom, but I. have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the lowerpart of the machine.

Both the upper part of the machine and the lower part of the machine arebraced in a familiar manner, as illustrated, by the bracerods 17. Acrossthe lower part of the machine extcnds a brace -rod 18, which also servesan additional function, as hereinafter described. The brace-rods 17 maybe made adjustable in a familiar manner, as indicated at 19. The sidebar 15 has an offset or extension '20, which is intended to carry the ecaps in line with the cenguideways 21, on which slide the crates 22,bearing the milk-jars 23. This feature of the machine has variousadjusting devices, which will be hereinafter described.

24 represents two guide-posts, one on each side, which are supported insleeves 25, attached to the side bars 15. 26 is a bar or rod joining thetwo guideosts at the top. These guide-posts, as will be observed, eX--tend up beyond the top of the side bars and form the ways upon whichplay the reci rocating frames and their parts, as herein eforementioned. The guideosts also serve to support the journal for t 1eoperating-shaft and its adjunctive features. At 27 is illustrated abracket secured at 28 by a bolt 30 to the top of the side bar 15 andhaving a sleeve 29 embracing the guide-post 24 and secured thereto by aset-screw 31, there being one on each side of the machine. These partsare illustrated especially in Figs. 2 and 3, where they are shown inrelation to the machine, and in Fig. 6, where they are shown in detail.At right angles to the sleeve 29 and in the illustrated form integraltherewith is a sleeve forming a journal-bearing 32, in which is journaldan operating-shaft 33, which carries at one side a handle 34. This shaftbears at each end of the machine a pinion 35. It is the function of thehandle, the shaft, and the pinion to operate the reciprocating frame andits connected parts, now to be described.

The reciprocating frame in the form illustrated is a skeleton or yoke 36bearing two sleeves, an upper and a lower, 37 and 38, which play u onthe guide-posts 24. A rackbar 39, mesiiing with the pinion 35, issecured at each end to one side of each yoke of the reciprocating frameby bolts and nuts 41. To further indicate the manner of connection ofthe frame and the rack-bars, I have numbered the nut of the up er bolt40 as 42, these nuts being taper-hear ed bolts secured thus from theinside. 43 indicates the lower bars of the reciprocating frames. Securedto these lower bars 43 of the reciprocating frames at each side at thepoint 44 is a plate 45, extending across the machine. This cross-plate45 carries the plungers and receives th'e heads of the cap or diskholding tubes. 46 represents a bracket attached to the top of theplate-45. This bracket has at its center two sleeves 47 48, whichembrace and play upon a center guide-post 49. This guide-post 49 has atits to a cap 50, limiting the upper-movement of t io bracket and itssleeve 47, and between the two sleeves a collar 50, secured at apreileterniined point to the center guide-post 49 and having extendingpins50", by, which, when desired, the

guide-post may be lifted together, with the connected plates, plungers,and disk-tubes. At 50" 1 have illustrated a notch into which i one ofthe pins 5t) may be. placed when it is 1 desired for any purpose to holdthe parts in an elevated position. The center guide-post 49 extendsdownward through the cross-plate 45 and through a lower cross-plateresting at the bottom in a tubular bearing 5] supported on each side bybraces 52, Fig. 4.

The lower crosslate, which holds the centering devices, is sl fown at53.

54 is a screw-threaded rod turning in a threaded bearing 55 and engagingat its inner reduced end a recess in the bottom of the center guide-post49.

56 represents a series of cap-holding tubes which are set in baserings57, attached to the plate 53, and are received by correspondinperforations inthe plate 45. These ca tuTves have each a slot at 58, bywhich t 1e progress of the disks 59 may be observed. Weights 60 arepreferably used'in connection with the caps or disks to feed themdownward, and in the form illustrated the handle of this weight projectsthrough the slot of each cap-tube.

61 represents. a series of plungers secured in the form illustrated bynuts and washers 62 to the cross-plate 45 and depending there- Each ofthe plungers carries an en-' from. circling spring 63, operating at oneend against the nuts and washers 62 and at the other end against a ring64, secured to the top of the hollow head 65. This construction permitsthe head 65 to play on the shaft of the plunger in operation.

The cross-plate 53 has a series of perforations 66, which correspondwith the mouths of the centering devices through which the caps are fed,as hereinafter described. .The

plate 53 is cut out on. each side at 67 to. re' ceive a pair of parallelcap-feeding slides 68. The function of these slides is to receive thecaps from the ca -holding tubes and place them in the per 'orations 'ofthe plate 53. Each ofthese plates is-narrowed at one end, the right-handend, for example, in Fig. 4, and they are secured between guide-strips69 b the bolts 7 O, securing the strips to the plate 53.

' 71 represents a pair of antifriction-rollers carried in a bracket 72,secured at one end to an end piece on the plate 53. Each of thecap-slides 68 bears a series of perforations 73, which are slightlylarger than the caps, so

that the caps may readily fall into them as the perforationv passesbeneath its relative cap-holding tube.

At 74 I have represented a bell-crank lever which is to reciprocate thecap-slides 63 at each vertical reciprocation of the frames 36 and theirconnected parts, includingthe parts attached to the plates 45 and 53.The bellcrank lever is pivoted at 75 to an arm 76, depending from thecross-plate 53. The bell crank lever carries at its upperend a roller76, which plays between bearing-faces 77 and 7 arranged as to bedescribed for'the purpose of giving the proper or desired reciprocationto the cap-slides.

79 is a plate secured by a screw 80, passing through a'slot 81, so thatthe plate 79 may be secured to the side of the journal 32 and adjustedtransversely thereon.

82 represents a lug secured by a bolt 83 to the side of the plate 79,which is slotted to receive the bolt, so that the lug 82 may be adjustedvertically to regulatethe position of the lower face 78.

84 is an extension at the bottom of the plate 79 below the face 77. Thisextension provides a guide for the roller 76 in case it should play outof the line of the faces 77 78. I thus provide an adjustable strike,bearingfae, or cam-track for the operation 'of the bell-crank lever 7 4,so that it may be adjusted with precise relation to the requirements ofa particular machine. 1

85 illustrates a pair of weights suspended by chains86 from pulleys 87,turning in journals carried by brackets 88, which are secured to thecross-brace 16, the end of the chains passing over'the pulleys beingattached to the-cross-p'late 45. 89 representsa pair of guide-arms whlchextend from the top plate 45 to the lower plate 53 and may be soadjusted as to form an alining abutment for the lower plate 53 and itsattached centering devices. pieces 89 have a right-angle upper part 90,secured freely by a bolt 91 to the plate'45 and having a set-screw'92at'the outer end. a knee formed 11 on the upper arm 90, bearing againsta ri on the plate 45. By means of the set-screw 92 "n the knee 94 theseguide-pieces-may be accurately adjusted to the proper lane to formguides for the operation of the ower cross-plate 53 and its connectedparts.

As has before been stated, each perforation of the plate 53 has itscorresponding center ing device. These centering devices comprise acylindrical body 96, having a wingplate 97 near'the top, which in theform I ave illustrated is generally triangular in form and has at eachoint an attaching device 98. 1 The partor liody 96 has-at the top athicker neck with a beveled mouth and a lower seat 100. Concentric withthe body 96 and playing within it is a cyhndrical body or part 101,bearing on one side a slot 102, through which passes a threaded bolt103. The inner body 101 is beveled at the top and has a range ofmovement which enables this beveled top 104 upon the full stroke to seatupon 100.

represents a flaring or hell mouth, sub stantially funnel shaped,enveloping both the cylindrical'bodies and secured'upon them .by,, t'hethreaded bolt 103. In the body '96 there is alsoformed a slot 102.

By this construction the inner body 101 may havea inovemen tgupon thebolt 103, while the bolt The guide- Y bolts 109.

103 may move upward within the slot 102*.

At Figs. 9 and 10 these parts are illustrated in their two extremepositions, and it will be observed that in Fig. 10 the mouth 105 hasbeen driven up until it rests against the wing 97, a recess having beenprovided to receive it, while the inner body has passed up within thebody 96 until its bottom is substantially flush with the outer body andits beveled upper end stops against the seat 100. By this construction acap passes readily into the beveled mouth of the body 96 and from thatgradually into the channel formed by the bodies 96 101, which arearranged in such relation to the size of the caps that they must beforced through by operation of the pluner. g I have already brieflydescribed the slideways 21 in which the crates 22 are placed, Theseslideways are, in effect, angle-irons, and to accentuate this Ihaveillustrated the sides of the ways by the reference-numeral 106. It isdesirable to adjust these guideways to adapt them to receivevarious-sized crates. To this end I have rovided beneaththese guidewaysand attac ed to the extensions 20 of the side barsv 15 slotted plates107, whose longer arms are secured to the extension 20 by means of bolts108 and whose shorter arms are secured to the uide-rails '21 by means ofIt wil be readily seenthat by this-simple means the rails may be-brought nearer together or placed farther apart to fit varying widthsof crates. I have also found it advisable to rovide adjustable stops toregulate the position of the crates u on the guideway so that a cratemay be sli in and stopped at the desired point and yet readily removed.To this end I have provided beneath the guideways 21 a post 110, securedthis means the post 113 and the roller 114 i may be adjusted verticallyto any desired oint. At 117 I have shown an arm which 1s attached to thebottom of the post 1 l3 and carries a spring 118, which is secured tothe side of the post 110, so that the pin or post 113 may have a springmovement, thus permitting the roller-stop 114 to yield when a crate ispushed forcibly against and over it.

- The general operation of the machine is as follows: The parts being inthe position illustrated in the principal figures of the drawings andthe cap-holding tubes filled with caps and the weights resting upon thetops of the disks, the lever 34 is forced downward by the o erator toturn the shaft 33 and the' attache ninions 35. The rotation of these Ireciprocate the frames 36, and with these frames will travel down allthe connected operative parts, the bracket 46, the guide post 49, andthe cross-plates and 53, with their connected features. The downwardmovement .of :all these parts will of-course bring the bells 105 of thecentering devices over the tops of the several milk-jars 23 in the crate22, which are positioned on the guideways 21 a ainst the stop-roller114. The flared or bel mouth of each centering device comin over themouth of the corresponding bott e will draw the bottle to a positiondirectly beneath and in line with the inner cylindrical part or body 101so that the mouth of the bottle will be in osition to receive its capand will be thus rought to position, and finally adjusted witha gentlemovement Which will not in any way injure the bottle, The innercylindrical body 101 in this movement will slide u ward or telescopewithin the outer 'cylin rical body 96 until its tapered top 104 restsagainst the bodies '0 t e centering devices.

there be evenly adjusted for the succeeding seat 100, passing from theposition shown in i Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 10. The illustration ofthese two ures assumes that the bottles are all of equa hei ht..- If,however, they should be of different eight, that difierence will beaccepted and relatively adjusted by the pro er operation of thetelescope Furthermore, by this arran ement of the centerin devices theguides %or the caps are enable always. to beextended entirely to theneck of thebottle, and no s ace isleftinwhich the cap .may tilt or movesidewise out of position, the

action being such that it always fits evenly and squarely in place. Whenthese centering devices are thus finally adjusted and rest upon the topsof the bottles, the operative parts connected to the frames and theplates 45 and 53 will be supported by the bottles so that while thelower cross-plate 53 is held in this position the upper cross-plate 45,with its attached plungers, will continue to move downward, carryingwith it the plun ers 61. During the first part of the downwar movementof the frames and their connected parts the bell-crank lever 74 has beenoperated upon by the strike or bearing face 77, so that its upper arm isforced inward toward the machine, turningit upon its pivot and throwingoutward 1ts' lower arm, sov that the capfeeding slides are drawn to theri ht toward the operator. This movement wi 1 bring the perforations73,which have been immediately beneath the cap-holdingtubes 56, to positiondirectly over the entrance or channel of the centering devices. The capslying in these perforations thus brought in line.

with the channel of the'centering devices will drop dlrectly into thetapered or beveled upper mouth of the cylindrlcal body 96 and W111operation. In this position the upper arm of the bell-crank lever 74 isfreed from the camtracks 77 and 78, so that it will not be operated bythe subsequent operation of the connected features; The plungers 61 nowforce down the caps through the channel of the centering device and arethus guided into position in the necks of the bott es or jars, thechannel being of such diameter'that the caps will fit snugly therein,thus being prevented from tilting out of an even horizontal position.The coil-s rings 63, encircling the shaft of the plungers,iavesufiicient force of tension to resist compression until the caps areforced into place in the necks of the hlghest bottles (if there shouldbe any difference in height) and will in the subsequent downwardoperation compress so as to permit the caps to be forced into thesucceeding bottles, including even the. lowest. The breakage of bottlesby being brought into contact with the rigid arts is thus guardedagainst, and an even seating of the thin disks is provided, so that theywill rest firmly in place on all sides, thus meeting the diflicultyinherent in preceding machinery of this type. These relative movementsare indicated in Fig. 5.- on the left hand in that figure thecap-feeding slide 68 has not yet moved forward to carry with it thelower cap. In the next section to the right it has moved forward andbrought the cap over the channel of the centering devices, whilethecentering devices themselves are shown' as resting on the top of thebottle or ar. In the third section-the one farthest to the rightplungers are shown as having forced the cap downward throu h the channelof the center ing devices, and t e parts are beginning to retract,assuming fina ly the position shown in the section farthest to the left.I The .operation being thus completed, the operator releases or raisesthe lever 34, and the weights then operate, through their connec' tionswith the cr'oss-plate45, to raise theparts, the cap-forcing plungersbeing first lifted un-w til the bearing-collars 47 and 48 strike thecollar 50 and cap 50 on the guide-shaft or post,49, when the cross-plate53and the parts carried thereby will also be lifted to theposition shownin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. As the cap-feeding plungers reach thepoint above the cross-plate 53, freed from the perforations therein, andover the cap-feeding slides the lever 75 comes into engagement with thebearing-face 78 on the attachment 82, fixed to the bracket-plate 79, andduring the remain-'v der of the upward movement of the parts operates tothrow the cap-feeding slide s back to bring the perforations 73 underthe cap-holding tubes 56 to again receive the lower caps of the columnsofcaps in the several tubes. By

reason of the arrangementpf the bracketplate 79 and its adjustable partsthe opera-- tion of the lever 74 may be'regulated and timed in exactaccordance with the operamounted thereon, brackets mounte tion of theother parts of the machine. "The crate of bottles being thus capped isnow ready to be removed. The stop 114 is forced down out of the way, andthe crate is drawn off out of the machine and another crate is pushedinto position .at the same time and stopped in the proper place for thecapping operation by the stop 114, which springs up into position assoon as the first crate passes over it. The operation is then repeatedin cycles continuously, as above described. A crate of any number ofbottles maybe cap ed at one time. In the drawings I have 11 ustrated acrate containing two rows of six bottles each; but itwill, be understoodthat the numbermay be more or less and that the machine may be providedwith the number of parts corresponding to the desired number of bottles.I

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the sup ortingframe having a table for supportingt e crate of bottles to be capped, standards extending a distance aboyesaid table and properly braced, guide-posts extendin vertically adjacent to said standards and luaced at their tops, reciprocating framesmounted on said guide-posts to reciprocate thereon and carrying across-plate having cap-seating plungers on the standards and guide-postscontaining bearings and a transverse shaft mounted in said bearin s,pinions on said shaft, an operatinglever a so on said shaft, rack-barsmounted on said reciprocating frames engaging said pinions, verticalbearings mounted on said transverse plate, a vertical shaft mounted toslide in said bearings, a second transverse plate mounted on a lower endof said shaft, centering devices mounted on the under side of saidsecond plate, cap-containing tubes on the top of said plate, and anautomatic capfeeding mechanism operated by the movement of saidreciprocating frames, substan:

tially as set forth.

2. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame, areciprocating frame mounted thereon, means for moving said frame up anddown, cap-seating plungers mounted on said reci rocating frame,centering devices mounte on a plate secured on the. lower end of avertical shaft mounted to slide in vertical bearings, whereby they areada ted toremain stationary during a part he movement of said plungers,the capholding casings, and mechanism for feeding the caps to thecentering devices arranged to be operated by the movement of saidreciprocating frames, substantiall as set forth; I

3. A machine for capping I ottles comprising asupp'ortin'g-frame, atable'thereon for osition to be capped, guide-posts mounte on saidframe,

ond plate, and cap-feeding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame,gulde-posts thereon, reciprocating frames mounted on said guideposts, across-plate carried by said reciprocating frames, plungers mounted onsaid cross-plate, a vertical shaft mounted in bear ings carried on saidplate, a second plate mounted on the lower end of said shaft, centeringdevices mounted on said second plate, disk-containing tubes also mountedon said second plate, disk-feeding slides, and a pivoted lever engagingsaid slides and operated by the movement of the frame for moving saidslides.

5. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supportin -frame, a recirocati frame carrying p ungers, a vertical sha mounted to slide inbearings carried by said reciprocating frame, a plate extending acrossthe machine and supported on the lower end of said shaft, centeringdevices and diskguides mountedon the lower side of said plate around aertures therein, disk-ca tubes mounte on-the top of said plateiskfeeding slides mounted in longitudina wa s in the top of said plate,a lever pivoted to t e reciprocating frame and arranged with one. endengaging a part connected to said slides t e reciprocating frame,substantially as set forth.

6, A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame, areciprocating frame mounted thereon, plungers carried b saidreciprocatin mounted to slide in bearings also carried by saidreciprocating frame, a plate mounted, on the lower end of said verticalshaft, centering and disk guiding devices mounted on the under side ofsaid plate around apertures therein, disk-holding tubes mounted on thetop of said plate to one side of said apertures, diskfeeding slidesprovided with apertures mount- IIO frame, a vertical sha t ed in ways inthe top of said plate and adapted to slide back and forth undersaid'tubes, a sliding plate mounted between ways on one end of saidplate and connected with said slides, a bell-crank lever pivoted to thereciprocatin frame and havin one end engaging with said sliding plateam? its other arrange to engage a strike on a stationary part during apart of the movement of the reciprocating frame and operate said slidesto feed the disks fromthe tube to the guidin and centering devices,substantially as set orth.

7 A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting frame, areciprocating frame carrying the capping mechanism,

- mechanism for feeding the caps, a lever for topo operating saidmechanism pivoted to the reciprocating frame and arranged to strikebearing-faces mounted in afixed alongslde the reciprocating frame, t eparts carrying said bearin -faces bein adjustably mounted, whereby t etime of t e operating may be properly regulated, substantially as setforth.

8. A machine for capping bottles comprising 'a supporting frame, areciprocating frame carrying plungers, a vertical shaft mounted to slidein bearings carried by said reciprocating frame, a plate mounted on thelower end of said shaft, centering devices mounted on the under side ofsaid plate, diskholding tubes mounted on its top side, slides havinperforations mounted in ways in the said plate and adapted to slidebeneath the disks in said tubes and receive the lowermost one into oneof said perforations, mechanism for operating said slides to carry saiddisks to said centering devices while they are being seated upon thebottles, and to return them to receive another disk of each pile whilesaid centering devices are being raised from said bottles after thecapping operation,

substantially as set forth.

9. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting frame, a recirocating frame mounted thereon carrying p ungers, a

' vertical shaft mounted in hearings on said frame, a plate having acentral perforation fitting over the lower end of said shaft, a lockingscrew-rod mounted on the under side of said plate and engaging at itsinner end with the lower end of said shaft for securing said platethereto, centerin devices on the under side of said'plate, diskoldingand disk-feeding devices on the top of said plate, and means foroperating said feeding devices by the movement of said reciprocatingframe,

substantially as set forth. I

10. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame,,areciprocating frame carrying the plungers, a vertical shaft mounted andadapted to slide in bearings on said frames, a plate mounted at itscenter on the lower end of said shaft carrying the centering devices andthe cap holding and feeding devices and guides adjustably secured tosaid reciprocating frame and extending down on each side of said shaftto rest against one edge of said plate and hold it in proper position inrelation to the other parts, substantially as set forth.

. A machinefor capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame,a'reciprocatin frame mounted thereon rack-bars mounte osition framecarrying the caping mechanism, a

table for sup orting the ottles beneath said capping mecfianism, a sprin-mounted reci rocating stop mounted to side horizontal y on a portion ofthe frame and extendin into the path of the crate containing the bot esas it is moved upon said table, and means for securing said stop in theposition desired whereby the position at which said crate ghall stop maybe fixed, substantially asset orth.

13. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame, areciprocating frame mounted thereon carrying the capping mechanism, saidcapping mechanism embodying a centering device comprising a fixedcylindrical part mounted on the supporting-plate, a bell-shaped partmounted to slide thereon and an internal guide for the cap securedwithin said cylindrical part and adapted to slide with said bell-shapedpart,"

substantially as set forth.

14. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame, areciprocating frame mounted thereon carrying the cap ing mechanism,centering devices'mounte on the lower plate of sald capping mechanismeachcomprising a fixed part, an outer part having a bell-shaped lowerend mounted to slide on said'fixed part and adapted to receive andcenter the mouth of the bottle, and

an internal guide adapted to slide within said fixed part and to slidewith and also independently of said outer bell-shaped part, whereby itwill rest upon the top of the bottles re ardless of their severalheights, substantially as set forth.

15. A machine for capping bottles comprising a supporting-frame, areciprocating frame carrying the cappin mechanism, a lower plate mountedon a sli ing support and carrying centering devices on its under sidemounted around apertures in said plate,

each of said centering devices consisting of a cylindrical part mountedwithin one of said apertures and being of an internal diameter at itsupper end that will permit the passage of the caps therethrough only byforce and formed with an offset a short'distance beneath its upper end,an internal cylindrical guide mounted beneath said offset of an internaldiameter corresponding with the upper end of said first-named part, abell-shaped outer part mounted on said first-named part and connectedtherewith to slide thereon, said internal guide being connected to eachto slide independent of both, substantially as set forth.

16. In a machine for capping bottles, the combination with the othermechanism, of a centering device comprising a cylindrical part securedto the su porting part, a centering-bell mounted to side thereon, and aninternal guide for the cap mounted to slide independent of both theother parts,.substantially as 'set for t h.

- 17-. In amachine for capping bottles, the combination with the othermechanism, of a centering device comprising a cylindrical part securedto the supporting part formed with a tapered edge around its top andbeing of an internal diameter at its upper end to supporting-frame,mechanism for feeding the caps, a lever .centrally pivoted to therecip'rocatin frame and arran ed so that its upper enc will strike saidcaring-face or cam-track and its lower end operate said capfeedingmechanism when the machine is operate 19. In a bottle-cap 'ing machinehaving a supporting-frame an a reciprocating crosshead mounted thereon,said cross-head having an upper and an under plate, said upper platecarrying 'a two-jawed end lug or bracket, said under plate having strapsor cap-feeding slides mounted in the upper surface thereof, thecombination with aplate secured to the top of said straps or slides andhavin ears, a'pair of rollers pivotally supporte by said ears, saidlast-mentioned plate havin between said ears and rollers, of a lever-armcentrally pivoted to said lug or bracket, and its lower end inengagement between said rollers, the upper branch of said lever carryinga roller, means provided for en agement with said latter roller to rocksaid. ever and move said stra s or slides, substantially as describedand or the purposes hereinbefore set forth. i

20. In a bottle-capping machine having a supporting-frame with endstandards havin rear end posts, the vertical guide-rods, an

the bearing blocks or brackets, having shaftbearings, said blocks orbrackets rigidly securedto said rods and to the upper end of said posts,and a reciprocating cross-head, with its end pieces sleeved on said guderods, said pieces carrying vertically-disposed rack-bars, thecombination with said rackbars of a rockshaft havin its end journaledthrou h said bearings, wit pinions mounted on an rigidly'secured to saidshaft adjacent to the bearings, said inions havin teeth to intermeshwith those of sai rackbars, and a hand-lever with its hub end riganaperture through its body.

their idly secured to the projecting end of the shaft, wherebysaidshaftis'rooked, said or sshead reciprocated, and the machine made to performits functions.

In testimony whereof I affix-my signature in presence of two witnesses.I

Witnesses:

GHAs. E. LEVY, DANL. H. HERE.

